What Now?
by htsoldierette
Summary: Neal is too intent on his forthcoming marriage to Yuki to notice, but Kel is not blind to the change in one of her old friends when she and Neal visit Masbolle after the Scanran War has died down. [Companion guide titled "Masbolle: A Study", found on my profile.]
1. Masbolle

The treaty ending the Scanran War was signed two months ago. The months following up to the armistice saw a steady decrease of aggression from the Scanrans, as Maggur was quickly losing support from his own nobles, who were beginning to assassinate each other. Tortallan soldiers and officials alike could only hope that one of them would just end it and kill Maggur himself, elusive as he was in the cold, mountainous depths of Scanra. The war-weary Tortallan knights, King's Own and Royal Army soldiers, and Queen's Riders were more than grateful to finally be cleaning up and heading home after two grueling years on the Northern and coastal borders. As a result, many of these warriors were given up to three months' reprieve.

Of the knights included Sir Nealan of Queenscove and Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, riding together on the Great Road North one late June afternoon. With them rode five of Kel's sparrow-sentry-companions and the dog Jump. Her manservant, Tobe, usually nitpicky about sticking by his mistress's side, was beginning his first formal horse magic studies with Daine the Wildmage in Corus.

"When do you reckon we'll get to Masbolle?" Neal asked, glaring at the sun.

"Pining, Meathead?" Kel quipped with a smirk.

Neal pulled his indignant noble's face, though it was quite half-hearted. "You and Dom both, always neglecting the title which befits my station," he said at last, nose in the air.

Keeping her face straight, she replied, "But I don't call you Sir Neal all the time, so wouldn't Sir Meathead be too formal for your lordship?"

This time the face he made was wholehearted. "Your tone borders on insubordination, dear friend."

"Oh, am I the insubordinate one?"

He scoffed. "It's too hot for this kind of talk," he growled.

Kel couldn't help but grin at him. They'd been through so much together, not only growing up, but most importantly, as comrades in arms. Though she'd kept up a pretense of disapproval at his "haring off" to Scanra after her, she was deeply touched by his and the rest of her friends' decision to follow her to practically the ends of the earth.

Both Kel and Neal were headed to Queenscove for his and Yuki's wedding in July. Yuki had left Fort Steadfast for Queenscove with her future father-in-law, Duke Baird, while the knights reported in person to the king back in Corus. Now Kel and Neal were passing through Masbolle to visit Neal's least-favorite aunt's family.

Suddenly Jump, who trotted ahead of the riders, barked and bolted down the road. Alarmed, the knights traded glances and sped off after the dog, hands on their weapons. However safely these knights were tucked away from the northern border, the unpleasant surprises of war taught them not to ignore their instincts.

On the road up ahead a rider too far to identify rode straight toward them. Jump, between the two parties, was joined by a familiar orange-and-gray marbled cat.

"Dom!" Kel cried, and nudged Hoshi faster down the road. Neal followed only a hoofbeat behind her.

Laughing, Domitan of Masbolle reined in his mount, Dancer, before the pair of animals and riders.

"Excited to see me, lady knight?" The way he said "excited" suggested not-so-innocent things. "Your birdies fetched me rather eagerly." Indeed Nari and two of Kel's other sparrows flew in after him. "Meathead," Dom remarked, seeming to just notice his cousin.

Neal rolled his eyes and replied exasperatedly, "Good to see you, too, _cousin_." Dom grinned infuriatingly as Kel, too, rolled her eyes. She remembered that time almost two years ago when their sarcastic banter came to be too much for those who spent time around them. It was just before Lord Raoul and Buri's wedding, and Kel and a couple of their other friends tried to make the cousins promise that they could at least act civilized until then. Like any cousins of mischief, though, they could make no promises.

Seeing her eyeroll, Dom winked at her. She fought for the millionth time her battle against blushing at the merest twinkle in his eye, the barest brush of his arm against hers, or—_Gods willing_—that slyest grin and wink. _Maybe it's the upcoming wedding_, she thought_. Weddings always make people giddy._ Kel responded by asking, "When did you get here?"

"A week ago," he replied, fixing her with very warm blue eyes. Then he looked down. "Oh, Queen, the road dust isn't suited to your taste. Come up." His orange cat Queen jumped up onto Dancer and nestled against Dom's saddle horn, beginning to wash herself. He chuckled and looked at Kel and Neal. "Come on, then. Mother wants to meet you."

They rode for less than a quarter of a bell before the Masbolle manor came into view. Kel almost gaped. It was old-fashioned in a magnificent way—reminiscent of its old heritage—its towers gleaming white and buttresses trimmed pale blue. It sat in the heart of a small, fertile valley. Before the house was a sprawling village—a town, really. Those who bustled about did so with vitality, dignity, and pride. These were a prosperous people.

The three warriors took a side road that hugged the town. Within, people paused in their tasks to wave and call out to their new lord and his friends. Kel couldn't help but smile as Dom waved and called back. Neal, too, looked taken aback but pleased nonetheless.

"Milord Dom, we be needin' help with the roof again!" a man yelled.

"I'll be over soon as I can, Master Windfall!" Dom called back. "Gotta take these heroes to their new home for the next week!"

Kel saw Neal eye his cousin suspiciously, no doubt looking for sarcasm to call him out for, but the look soon turned into a rare show of genuine compassion when the biting remark about Neal being the exception never came.

It took a lot of trust and loyalty to cement such an almost tangible companionship between the Masbolles and their people. Kel would be the first to attest to that, and she was more than impressed with what she saw here.

All the while Kel managed to study Dom. She told herself that she was not so much admiring the view than looking out for his health. True, she saw the same impossibly and quite unfairly handsome Dom she knew, but something was wrong.

His friendly blue eyes were dark-rimmed, and his mouth seemed less liable to grin, contrary to how it always did. _What's this?_ she wondered. Dom was one of the most easygoing men she knew... Then she remembered. Dom had recently lost his remaining older brother, Nolann, in the war. Indeed, Dom was wearing the black of mourning garb. _Poor Dom, losing all those family members—his father and two older brothers—and becoming lord because of it, when he already has the Own_, Kel thought, sad for all the harsh new changes in her friend's life.

She soon tore her eyes away before they could linger on any other part of him, and then he would catch her. She knew it; he had done it before. She tended to avoid that kind of confrontation. Besides, she could talk to him later.

In the courtyard a man and three women awaited them. All were wearing the black clothes of mourning, but their faces wore expressions otherwise. Two of the women were definitely Dom's family. The other woman and the man were decidedly not, though they looked related to each other. They all stepped forward as the riders approached.

Dismounting, Kel heard the man remark amusedly, "—Dom, I didn't even notice you left until Luce asked me—"

"—never knew a man to run after _birds_."

It took a moment for Kel to recognize that subtle sneer. It seemed like so long ago that she'd heard it. And back then, that sneer was directed at Kel's ineligibility to find a husband. She looked up to find the voice. Sure enough, with Dom's family stood Doanna of Fenrigh. She glared her return to Kel's steady gaze.

Neal was down from his horse, Magewhisper, first and greeting his extended family. Kel only heard Neal's "least favorite aunt"—Kel figured—call him "Nealan" before she was caught up in a warm embrace.

"I've missed you, Kel," Dom whispered in her ear. Hoshi snorted as one of the hostlers that emerged from the stables led her away. Kel spared only a glance at her receding horse and could only hope that Dom didn't feel her shiver against him with gods know what emotion. He let her go with a wink—there's the Dom she knew, Kel thought—and introduced her to his family. His brother-in-law, Madrigol of Fenrigh, whose brother Emmet both Kel and Dom were acquainted with from the Own, raised straight brown brows over onyx eyes and smiled as he shook Kel's hand. Madrigol's wife, Dom's sister Lucetta of Fenrigh—with her brother's friendly blue eyes, her mother's deep brown hair, and beauty in only a plain black dress—greeted Kel in kind. In hindsight, Dom's mother—whose lined but comely face, gray-streaked chestnut hair, and light, vibrant green eyes that contrasted with her stark clothes—was the most thrilled to meet her.

"Welcome to Masbolle, Lady Knight Keladry!" Lady Darinia said, taking one of Kel's scarred hand in her own smooth ones. "I know you'll love it here. Though I know you're not here to sightsee, precisely..." Kel smiled and thanked the lady. Evidently Lady Darinia accepted her much more quickly than the mothers of her _other_ male friends did. "My son has written much about you in his letters home," Darinia continued, looking at Kel sidelong. "Dom doesn't know—yet—but I'd hoped you'd be interested—"

"Please, Dom, spare me!" a loud voice teased. While Kel and Dom's mother talked, Doanna had drifted over to flirt with Dom and, evidently, Neal. But Neal had other plans.

"Aunt Darinia, I don't believe I can handle staying here for a whole week if that female Stormwing is," Neal drawled quietly, coming over.

Lady Darinia sighed. "Now, Nealan,"—she smirked as Neal's frown deepened—"you know she's got nowhere else to go without being bored out of her mind at home in Meron. So she tags along with your cousin and cousin-in-law, especially"—she grimaced slightly—"when they visit Masbolle." Then she smiled. "But there. You can't be leaving us already, you haven't visited in over 10 years!" She cuffed Neal lightly on the shoulder.

Neal rubbed the spot, scowling darkly. "Alas, I endure what I must."

The hostlers took charge of the new arrivals' mounts. Peachblossom, Kel's ever-agreeable old warhorse, pulled a tendon in one of the last skirmishes of the war and was presently recovering in Corus. The good ol' fellow, Tobe had said, deserved the break. Kel agreed wholeheartedly.

As the rest of the family promised to meet them later for supper after the knights had settled in, Dom swung open heavy, polished ebony and ivory doors to admit the knights to his home.

"Well, my noble knights, welcome to my humble abode," Dom announced, spreading his arms in a dramatic flourish to include their surroundings. The manor's interior was just as lovely as its exterior, except it was startlingly modern: smooth marble floors, high-domed ceilings, elegantly comfortable furniture, and tall, ornate Marenite windows veiled by flyaway white curtains.

Dom politely waved the servants away. He turned to his guests and said, "Mademoiselle Keladry, Sir Meathead, allow me to show you to the bathhouses, or shall it be your rooms first? Perhaps a bite to eat would serve—"

Kel elbowed him. "Stop it. I've heard enough of that on the road." She looked pointedly at Neal, who was too worn to do anything but glare.

Dom chuckled. "You have my sympathies. But what shall it be, hmm?"

"_Perhaps_ we could have baths drawn up in our rooms," Neal drawled lazily, yawning. Kel agreed.

"Very good, Sir Meathead, Lady Knight, if you'll follow me?"


	2. Of Bets and Balconies

That evening, the knights supped with the Masbolle family. Neal knew from his previous visits what Kel found out that night: the Masbolles ate together whenever they were home. Kel knew that this was not the case for many noble families, so she was interested to discover that out of all the quirks in Masbolle's management, this was one of them.

She also found that the servants decided who sat where at the dining table.

Thus, she found herself seated with Doanna at her left and Madrigol at her right on one side of the long dining table, Dom and Lucetta at the right and left ends, respectively. Opposite her sat Lady Darinia, seated on Neal's left. On Darinia's other side was Lucetta and Madrigol's effervescent three-year-old daughter, Rosalee, seated crosswise from her mother.

The Masbolles and Fenrighs talked leisurely. Neal contributed his fair share to the conversation, and Kel did so when she could. Doanna, at least, withheld any less-than-civil remarks regarding Kel. In fact, the lady actually made eye contact with the lady knight without glaring. _That must be a good sign_, Kel thought with a mental shrug.

As the meal progressed, Kel settled into the comfortable atmosphere that Lady Darinia seemed to exude just as easily as her son did. Lucetta and her husband were polite in asking after Kel's health, among other things. Their daughter Rosalee—nicknamed Rose or Rosy—was gifted with a seemingly infinite capacity for making others laugh, Kel included. Truth to tell, Kel could barely notice that they all had just lost one of their own in the war—two including Doanna's husband, Sir Geoffrey of Meron. When Neal told Kel _that_ bit of news, which he got from his grieving former knight-mistress, Kel couldn't help but sympathize with Doanna, regardless of her feelings toward her.

Kel also found that Jump had, sometime during the course of the meal, managed to wheedle food from Dom. She mouthed "scapegrace" to her hound. Dom saw her and muffled a laugh. She soon found herself offering tidbits to Dom's Queen under the table.

After dinner, Ladies Darinia and Doanna retired to their rooms while the rest of them moved to the sitting room. Kel had the fleeting suspicion that Lady Darinia was of a mind to matchmake Doanna with her son, but it was gone the moment she remembered Darinia's subtle frowns whenever the younger woman flirted with Dom.

Conversation continued idly, for little Rose was still present, bouncing in her seat on Dom's lap and giggling. Queen sat in Kel's lap, purring as the knight stroked her. Jump lay on the floor, watching the humans with intelligent triangular eyes.

"It's bedtime for you, soon, young lady," Dom remarked as Rose played with her uncle's hair.

"'m not tired, Uncle Dom," she mumbled into Dom's shoulder.

"Yes, you are," Dom replied laughingly, turning to look at her. "And what are you doing with my hair?"

As her mother giggled, Rose said gleefully, "Bwaiding it!"

Laughing, Dom gently pried his niece's grip from his hair and resettled her on his lap. Kel smiled. Dom had always been one to spoil children; he'd given piggy-back rides to many of the children of New Hope, unable to turn down their "sweet, willful faces."

"Say, Dom, I have a bet going on," Madrigol announced conspiratorially.

Dom, always up for bets, perked up. "On what?"

Madrigol—or Maddy, for short—smirked. "On when my sister will snag you."

Dom flushed as Lucetta kicked her husband's shin and cried, "Maddy!"

"What?" Maddy asked, amused. "It's gonna happen."

Surprisingly, Neal said, "I agree." Then he made a face. "And I've been here less than half a day. Can I get in on this bet?"

Dom groaned. "Oh please, Meathead—"

Neal raised his brows. Kel, not very much liking the direction of this conversation, wondered idly if Neal knew his eyes grew wider and slightly more menacing whenever he did that. "Don't 'Meathead' me. I heard—quite literally—that Doanna is an aggressive woman. She'll get what she wants soon enough. And, from the looks of things, you don't exactly discourage her." He turned to Maddy. "Well, O wise cousin-in-law of mine? I wager two days' time. Wait, what odds are we talking about?"

"Well, it's twenty to one that—"

"Twenty? How many people have you let in on this?"

"You are not seriously discussing this—"

"Uncle Dom, where's Uncle Nol?"

That sweet little voice came from the girl in Dom's lap. All conversation died out. Kel could see Dom was trying to get his emotions under control as he stroked his niece's dark hair, so much like his own. Finally he said, "He's not here, sweet. I know he's really sorry that he can't come home and see you again..."

"But he'll come back soon, wight? An' take me riding an' bluebewy picking again?"

Dom smiled sadly at having to break this little girl's heart. "I'm afraid not, love. Uncle Nol had to go, you see, to do his duty. And when he was done, the Black God called him to His realm, the most peaceful your uncle's ever known."

"My lord."

A maid in Fenrigh colors—Rose's nursemaid, Kel figured—stood at the door. Dom looked up belatedly, not used to responding to the very title that belonged to the dead brother he spoke of.

"With milord and milady's permission, I'd like to take Lady Rosalee to her bed now. It's getting late."

"Of course," Dom remarked quietly, kissing goodnight to Rose, whose eyes had begun to fill with confusion at why everyone was so quiet and sad. The maid left with Rose on her hip.

"Someone ought to go with her," Dom remarked, starting to get up.

"It's fine, Dom," Maddy interrupted. "We've been over this several times already. Nolann died nobly, Rose knows that."

"But does she understand?" Dom asked, raising his brows very much as Neal had.

"She's three," Lucetta said quietly, "she's not expected to."

Kel suspected Dom wanted to argue, but he decided to drop the subject. As talk resumed, Kel felt more uneasy and disinclined to talk. She couldn't pinpoint why, but perhaps it was the ill juxtaposition of idle gossip with grim reality.

Eventually, talk turned once more to such gossip, and thus, to bets. Kel thought it seemed to go on and on, but she was glad that talk of death seemed to have retired for the night.

Jump whuffed at her knee softly; Lucetta, noticing Kel's quietude, asked, "Is everything alright, Lady Knight? I forgot that you and Neal spent all day traveling; you must be tired."

Kel smiled ruefully—to hide the fact that her silence was due to no such thing—and replied, "Please, Lady Lucetta, it's just Kel. And yes, I'm sorry I can't contribute much to conversation tonight. I will be the better for some rest." She straightened in her seat. "I'm going to turn in for the night."

Dom touched her arm gently as she got up. "Where are you going?"

"To bed," she said, to everyone. "I'm done in for the night. Don't mind me, I'm not interested in bets."

"But you have to help me keep lookout for when I've won, Kel!" Neal whined.

Kel frowned at him. She certainly had no interest in doing _that_. Dom, to her surprise, elbowed Neal hard in the ribs. "Impolite, Neal, encouraging interloping!" He looked apologetically at Kel, a twinkle in his eye. "Sometimes he's too insolent for his own good. Sleep well, Kel."

Kel couldn't help but grin in the end, bidding them all goodnight. Break her heart though he might, Dom was a gentleman enough. And though she didn't exactly appreciate his sister and brother-in-law leaving their little Rose to be consoled by a nursemaid, they weren't such a bad sort either, even if they still were a bit of a puzzle at the moment.

* * *

But she did anything but sleep well.

Exhaustion was no help. Try as she might, Kel couldn't get images of Dom and Doanna out of her mind. Out of all the things she took away from that evening—Lady Darinia's uncanny acceptance, Rosalee's infectious laughter, Nolann's death, even Dom's budding potential for fatherhood—why did the prospect of Dom and another woman occupy her thoughts so? As hot, fitful jealousy kept sleep at bay and discomfort close, Kel forced herself to think of other things, since clearing her mind for sleep was clearly not on the horizon.

The war. So many—so much—lost. Even though Tortall had officially won the war, there was little victory on a battlefield with dead men all around you. Kel knew that all too well. Her own immediate family had been spared any casualties, thank Mithros, but her refugees, friends, and comrades had paid _such_ a price, many with their own lives. And Dom's family was no exception.

Knowing that images of war while she lay awake would only barrage her in her sleep, Kel threw off the covers, donned a cloak against the nighttime chill, and left her room as quietly as she could without waking Jump.

She ghosted down the long, silent hall, letting its coolness ease her headache. Moonlight streamed through the windows set along the hall, illuminating the white curtains rippling in the slightest of breezes. Once she was in better spirits, Kel half-hoped to stumble across someone as mad as she, wide awake and wanting to chat a couple bells past midnight.

A corner turning right loomed up ahead. Kel turned and almost stopped in her tracks.

There was a balcony up ahead, the same curtains flowing behind the same kind of windows, except they reached the floor and acted as a door. Outside there stood a tall figure gazing down at the village.

Though she couldn't tell why, she felt compelled to join him—she could tell he was male. Perhaps because it was the hour during which souls were most inclined to talk about the whys and wherefores of life.

_Great_, Kel thought, _now I sound like Neal_.

As she drew closer, she recognized who it was by his unmistakeable silhouette. She strode toward the window and almost pulled back the flyaway curtains when she hesitated. _What if he wants to be let alone?_

As if sensing her trepidation, the figure turned quickly, blue eyes holding hazel and pulling her in. All of her unease gone, she drew back the sheer curtains and opened the windows.

He smiled at her, albeit weakly. He clearly had been thinking grim matters for him to look so uncertain. She joined him at the rail, a mutual understanding seeming to settle over them like a blanket.

And there they stood, a mere foot apart, and yet worlds away in their thoughts and emotions. Her deceptively blank face hid a tempest of mourning and existentialism. Unconsciously, he was learning from her, but distress still laid claim over his normally good-humored face.

"How's Tobe been lately?"

She was startled by his question but let him see her small smile instead. "He's ecstatic to be getting formal lessons." Her voice was a little hoarse from lack of use. She cleared it. "Daine's pregnant with her second child now, so she's been using her time off spy duties to teach him his horse magic." She looked at him. "He misses you, you know."

He smiled. "I miss him, too. But you know, all his training and success wouldn't have happened had he not met you."

She opened her mouth to reply, but he added quietly, "I think a lot of us feel the same way about you, Kel."

She saw no twinkle in his eye then. He held her gaze steadily, drowning her in deep blue pools of emotion. Whatever she was about to say slipped off her tongue and pooled uselessly at her feet. Instead she shook her head and asked, "Who's 'us'?"

He shrugged, his shoulders drawing her eyes toward his well-fitted tunic. _Stop that_, she scolded herself. _Now's not the time to get distracted._

"Everyone who survived because of you," he said simply. His eyes seemed to have absorbed the moonlight only to shine it back on her.

She looked away. She knew it was pointless to argue. They'd been over this too many times, and Kel was tired of trying to make people think less of her. After a moment, she asked, "Dom, what will you do now?"

He sighed. That unfamiliar grimness returned. "Mother... wants me to leave the Own and settle down. Lost three too many men in her life, she says..." He looked at his hands, scarred and scabbed over almost as much as Kel's were. "And none of them have given her grandchildren. But I can't imagine leaving the Own. It's been my life for the past ten years, and Masbolle... I don't know anything about how to run this place." His eyes were desperate, tormented, almost pleading.

Kel rested her hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Anything I can do to help?"

He gave her a small, secretive smile, a strange one, because then he looked away as if embarrassed. "My mother thinks I don't know, but having been around my lord Raoul for the past ten years, you'd think she'd be more careful to hide her matchmaking around me. She's trying to find me a wife who can help manage the estate. I told her that she _sure _was narrowing it down, since all ladies get some kind of training in managing while their lords are away. But then she just smirked at me and didn't say who she actually had in mind." He chuckled. "She's been managing the estate on her own for a while now, but she still needs to stay busy to keep her mind off... other things."

It took a long moment for Kel to realize that the fact that he'd answered her question by implying that his mother's matchmaking scheme was what would help him manage, and that he'd avoided mentioning any names, told her that he knew exactly who his mother had in mind as a potential wife for him. Moreover, his mother knew, somehow, that this lady had such leadership experience. Kel hoped that the dark hid her blush.

_But why hadn't he mentioned it? Did he think he'd offend? Or was he disgusted at the prospect?_

Fortunately, his gaze was fixed elsewhere: skyward. Stars watched over them, winking at them on this clear summer night. And even though her heart was a tumultuous riot, for the first time since the war ended, Kel felt safe.

The moon lent light to the darkness around them.

"And you, Kel?" His voice sounded so perfect in the night—deep, warm, and husky. She gave him a questioning look. "What will you do now?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I'm thinking to visit Mindelan and New Hope after Neal's wedding, but... it seems as if I just left. We've been at New Hope for so long, and it's so strange to leave. After that, I really don't know. Perhaps I'll join Owen bandit-hunting for a time."

To her surprise, he took her hand and kissed it. "Well, anytime you need a respite from your knightly duties, and you want to visit again, you can always come here. You know I'll always welcome you with open arms." He winked.

She yanked her hand away. "Teasing brute," she muttered tartly. "Where's Queen, anyway? She always seems to put you in your place."

"Getting her beauty sleep," he replied, unruffled. "Speaking of which, why aren't you getting yours, my lady knight?"

Now it was her turn to shrug, ignoring his use of possessives. "Couldn't sleep. But I'd best be getting to bed now."

"Me too," he said. Then he grinned widely. "Need company?"

_As if I thought you'd actually give it_, she thought darkly, then pushed both the thought and Dom away. "I don't need a chaperone, thank you very much!"

He followed her back inside and bade her goodnight before heading to his rooms. As Kel walked back to her own, the light pouring through the windows brightened the tiniest bit.

_Not such a bad night after all_, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.


	3. The Heartbreak of a Suitable Wife

Despite the hours she kept last night, Kel was up at dawn. She fed her sparrows and Jump. Then, out of habit, she did glaive practice in her room, but these days it was more to wake her up than to stay fit for battle. After a moment's hesitation, Kel donned one of the dresses she had packed, a dark forest green gown crafted by none other than Lalasa. At last she put on a black armband out of respect for the family in whose home she was staying.

She was heading downstairs when she heard footsteps behind her. Dom's Queen ran up to greet her. "Beautiful dress," Dom murmured behind her, his breath on her neck making her shiver. "Wearing it for someone in particular?"

Kel glared at him to hide his effect on her. "Of course. Myself. A girl doesn't need an excuse to wear a dress."

He tweaked her nose. "I know," he said cheekily.

The household ate breakfast together (after much persuasion brought Neal out of bed) and then walked to the burial grounds. They took a countryside trail that unfurled behind the manor and took them uphill. Soon, Kel could no longer hear the distant bustling of the town. Instead, plants bloomed on the roadside: tiny peonies waved in the wind as tall grasses and taller trees shook off the morning dew. Kel's sparrows darted from tree to tree, cheeping happily.

"Pondering the greenery, lady knight?" Dom remarked as he drew even with Kel. When Kel replied that she was curious, he explained, "Well, long story short, we learned some time ago that it's not a good idea to make our burial grounds look like, well, a dead place."

The tall cemetery gates were wrought from sturdy black iron. Black vines of leaves climbed up and wrapped around each post, giving the entire structure a veiled look. As they entered, the only sound came from the rustling of leaves, the sigh of the wind, and the crunch of footsteps.

The flowering environment explained why it was no custom to place flowers or offerings by the tombstones. The household linked hands and gathered first around the late Lord Irwin's grave, then those of his sons, Sirs Gavin and Nolann. Kel gave Neal's hand a reassuring squeeze as they stood before Nolann, with whom Neal was almost as close to as with Dom.

At around the ninth bell, they returned to the house, a somber yet resigned air having descended especially upon the immediate family. It was the first time all the Masbolles together visited their deceased. Someone was always either on active duty or at Court.

Rosalee was tear-worn and dozing on her father's shoulder as Maddy asked the others, "Anyone up for some riding?"

After the morning ride, Dom insisted that an official tour of the house was in order for Kel. He showed her the separate wings of the house, the gardens, the kitchens, the different sitting rooms and dining areas. The house even had a swimming hole out back. Then he showed her the fields and vineyards where Masbolle's famed blueberries and other fruits were farmed. Kel went to lunch feeling all the more at home. She said as much to her tour guide.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Dom remarked, chuckling. "My offer still stands for you to come here and stay any time you like. It will certainly be a little lonely here in the coming years."

Kel didn't want to over-think any hidden motives of that offer.

* * *

After lunch, Kel decided to catch up on some letter writing. It had been a while since she wrote home last, and she also wanted to write to her friends. She walked past the same balcony where she and Dom talked the night before when she heard a voice from outside:

"Not inclined to any fun anymore, my lord?" It was familiar, though the times it was addressed to Kel it was sneering, not purring.

"If we're to have any fun, we ought to be on first-name bases, milady." Kel could practically see him in her mind's eye: his head rocking back and forth, ever so slightly, looking at you with that wicked smile plastered on his face, that naughty twinkle in his eye, and a lightheartedness in the very air around you.

"Alright, then, Domitan. Can we have fun now?"

Dom said something Kel couldn't hear, so she sneaked to the other side of the window to better spy on them. In all honesty, Kel's heart sank with every word, but there was no helping her favorite vice: eavesdropping.

Now Kel saw Doanna link her hands behind Dom's neck, leaning toward him and giggling. Dom's hands laid loosely around her waist. The couple stood facing each other, and Kel might have considered their backdrop of a breathtaking Masbolle by day very romantic were she not busy feeling betrayed.

Kel looked away as they leaned in for a kiss. Suddenly it became very hard for Kel to suppress the urge to cry.

After a while, Doanna took Dom's hand and led him back inside. Kel, on their blind side, ran for dear life. She was lucky they were taking their sweet time about getting back inside, otherwise they would have seen her. Kel tried not to think too much about what "fun" they were going to get up to. Just the very thought of them made it all the more difficult to hold back tears. Silently Kel condemned Dom for flirting with her—on that very balcony, too!—and then going off to romance another woman, one who held ill will toward his friend, too! Did he know that about Doanna? Or did he even care?

Kel slammed her door shut behind her and heaved a broken sigh of frustration. Jump, by the window, leaped down and pawed her leg, wuffing. Kel sighed again. He was right. She had to fight back all thoughts of Dom or else she would cry, and that was no good. Never had a man made her _this_ emotional! She couldn't show that such ridiculousness had an effect on her, because of course it didn't. She was Kel. She survived Blayce the Nothing Man. She survived the Scanran War. She survived heartbreak—twice. Surely this was no different.

And if a single teardrop from her left eye showed she was unaffected, she would allow it—no one could see.

* * *

A rap on the door roused Kel from a long and very unintentional nap. Blearily she wiped the sleep from her eyes and did her best to straighten her clothes before she opened the door.

"Oh, my dear," Dom's mother remarked, taking Kel's face in her comforting hands. "I came to see if you would be for some supper... What's the matter, darling?"

Kel smiled tiredly. "Nothing, my lady. I just fell asleep, is all. And please, call me Kel. When is supper?"

"Right about now. Well then, go and wash up. I can still see the dreams in your eyes," Darinia joked, reminding Kel of Dom not one bit. "I'll walk down with you."

Kel did as she was told. Despite her misgivings, the sleep did her well. Her mind was clearer, smoother, even if her appearance was not. _Just as well_, Kel thought dogmatically, _My heart and mind are as clear and undisturbed as water. It doesn't matter what I look like._

As luck would have it, the servants placed Kel next to Dom at table. The lady knight did her best to carry on as if she knew nothing and, as a result, contributed more to conversation this night than the last. She pretended not to notice Doanna's not-so-subtle glances across the table at Kel's dinner companion. So well she pretended that she almost missed her companion's returning looks, or lack thereof.

Dom talked to Kel as he normally did, joking and gesticulating in his usual manner that Kel almost forgot all her troubles. By the end of the meal, Kel was resigned to the fact that he still pulled her heartstrings like no other, but no matter what—or whom—he did, he would always be her friend.

Dom also made the mistake of asking Neal about his betrothed, Yuki, to which Neal responded with an elaborate soliloquy. The others listened with interest, save for Kel and Dom, who already knew much of what Neal was saying. When the knight started repeating himself, Dom looked at Kel and rolled his eyes.

Afterward, the household retired to the garden that hugged the mansion's east wall. The walkways blended well with the greenery, inviting one to stray off the path to look more closely at the purples, blues, reds, and yellows of the many violets, orchids, roses, and daisies.

"Meathead, I'm surprised you haven't taken off already, your lady love so closeby to our humble home," Dom remarked with a friendly clap on Neal's shoulder.

Neal sniffed. "And I see no one's managed to change you one bit, _cousin_."

At this, Dom appeared thoughtful—or was that _pain_ in his eyes?—but then it was gone, replaced with an impish smile. "Good, as long as I'm nowhere near being like you," he said with false cheer. Kel frowned. Dom never let anyone get under his skin, especially not Neal.

Someone tugged her hand. Kel looked down. "Cawwy me, Lady Kel!" Little Rosalee exclaimed.

"Say 'please,' Rosy," her mother, Lucetta, scolded.

"Pwease?" Rose repeated, eyes pleading, reminding Kel of the children of New Hope.

The lady knight bent down and scooped her up, bracing the little girl on her hip. She sat at an empty bench under the shade of a willow tree, Jump at her heels. By the way the dog jumped up next to Rose and sniffed and licked her hand, it was evident he wanted to play. Rose responded with an enthusiasm that rivaled that of Kel's ever-energetic friend Sir Owen of Jesslaw.

Alone with her thoughts, Kel observed the family and thought of her own family and friends. She didn't talk much about how much she missed them to outsiders, because more than anything she disliked being pitied for her loneliness. It was bad enough going through two sweethearts and being away from her other friends for such long periods of time during the past few years. These days, she found herself in need of that intimate companionship that added such spice to her life in her non-single days. Cleon, who didn't really break her heart, was fun while they lasted, but the truth was that his arranged marriage was inevitable. Merric, who did break her heart, did so in private but, then again, they did _everything_ together in private.

Now, as she watched Doanna's hand linger on her unrequited love's arm, Kel thought, _Perhaps things were always meant to be this way. Doanna is pretty enough, and gods know Dom is too. They'd make a good couple... _Absently she wondered if and when they planned to tell everybody...

"Lovely night tonight, Lady Kel." Lady Darinia of Masbolle sat down next to her as Rose wriggled out of Kel's lap to play with Jump and the sparrows. Queen was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, yes," Kel breathed, gazing up at the pale, glowing moon. "Masbolle is every bit as beautiful as you said it was, my lady."

"Please, call me Darinia," the lady replied. "And I'm glad you agree." Then she took a deep breath. "Kel, would you so oblige to hear me out for a moment? There's something I want to discuss with you."

"Of course," Kel said, intrigued.

"I confess," Darinia began, "I've become one of those matchmaking mothers that my son tells me Lord Sir Raoul so hated in the past. But I have reason to be." She looked at Kel worriedly. "What will become of Masbolle if—gods forbid—some accident claims my son's life while he's off gallivanting with the King's Own? Frankly, he's lucky to have made it to Scanra and back with you and Nealan and the dog... Well, I expected no less, seeing how _you_ led them all." Kel hid a blush. Dom's mother continued, "But his life is a dangerous one. He tells me over and over that he knows the danger, and I believe him, but he's had ten years... I don't even want to guess how many close calls he's had in those ten years. And I just don't want to outlive my youngest son," she whispered, her eyes haunted.

Kel gave Darinia's hand a comforting squeeze as the lady continued, "So, whether Dom likes it or not, I'm finding him a suitable wife. I want him to have someone to come home to. Someone he can always laugh with. But most importantly, someone who will help him out."

The two ladies watched Dom talk animatedly to his sister and her husband, while Neal debated with Doanna, doubtless about some manner of philosophy.

Rose clutched her grandmother's hands as Darinia pulled her into her lap. "See, I believe you are that woman, Keladry of Mindelan." Kel jerked up, startled. Darinia smiled and said, "Oh yes! My son tells me how natural a leader you are, what with New Hope and—and how you led his squad when you were only a squire. And he wrote about how great a person and a friend you are to him—why, he sounds as if he's half in love with you already!" she said slyly. "Unless you are already attached?"

Kel stared at her. "N-No, my la—Darinia, I'm not attached. I'm not seeing anybody at the moment..." She trailed off, unsure if she should tell Dom's mother of her son's latest infatuation.

"Good!" Darinia said. "Well, you are good friends, are you not?"

"Yes, but—Darinia, I mean no disrespect but I beg to differ." She took a deep breath. Suddenly she felt very tired. "Because Dom seems quite infatuated with Lady Doanna these days."

Kel was interested to see the woman purse her lips while directing her gaze to the lady in question, who was now laughing at something Dom said. Finally Darinia spoke. "I've nothing against the woman. I can certainly sympathize with her, losing her husband, and so early in their marriage, too." She looked at Kel sharply. "But she's just not right for my son. He deserves better, not someone who thinks of men as her play-toys. Not that men can't be women's playthings, but that shouldn't be all a woman sees in her man and thinks of! Because that is definitely Doanna of Fenrigh."

Kel was shocked. She had her suspicions about the lady of Masbolle's disapproval of the woman, but now her suspicions were confirmed.

"I see," Kel remarked at last, brows knit in a frown. "But I'm not so sure... He's never shown an interest before."

"Oh, he hasn't?" Darinia asked mildly, scratching Jump's ears. "No doubt he has flirted—"

"He doesn't mean it," Kel interrupted automatically, then looked at the older woman with alarm. "Begging my lady's pardon. But Dom flirts with everybody."

Darinia's eyes narrowed. "Does he, indeed. We will see about that." Before Kel could say anything, Dom's mother stood and strode to her son, now sitting in conversation with his brother-in-law. With horror Kel watched the scene unfold before her.

Dom only grinned at his mother and turned back to Maddy. Kel breathed a sigh of relief. Later that night she went to bed with far more than enough to think about.


	4. Drama

The morning after, Kel left her rooms for Masbolle's practice courts, which were much more spacious than her own rooms for glaive practice. Turning a corner, she almost ran into none other than Doanna of Fenrigh. It might have been a casual encounter, but as it were, both ladies stopped in their tracks, as if expecting the other to pounce.

Kel met the other woman's glower steadily, face unreadable. Finally Doanna broke eye contact and went on her way, shouldering Kel in the process.

"What's gotten into her?" Neal asked caustically, stepping out of his rooms. "And you've got your Yamani Lump face on. She's not still giving you trouble, is she?"

Kel shook her head. "No, Neal, don't worry about me. I am worried about you, though. You just lost your bet."

Neal gaped at her. "W-what? They... They're together already!" he shouted.

Kel shushed him and commenced soothing his wounded pride. It seemed only she or Yuki could actually pull that off these days. And Neal had lost quite a bit of money this time.

While Dom was occupied with his mother, "learning the trade" of managing the estate, Kel and Neal spent the day with Lucetta and Maddy, who both brought along Rose for her promised ride through Masbolle.

It was all very well, despite Neal being more restless than ever, threatening to take off right then and there for Queenscove, to Yuki. But in the end it only took gentle persuasion by the adults to convince Neal that he left behind practically all of his belongings in the house; therefore, he would find himself quite inconvenienced on the road were he to leave without them now.

They visited the town for a couple of hours before Rose insisted they go "bluebewy picking" in Masbolle's gardens. Between the giggling and the ripe blue ink smeared on all of their faces, Kel realized with awe and fright what post-war life meant.

Madrigol of Fenrigh worked in diplomatic affairs, and was part of the committee that worked out Tortall's part of many foreign treaties, including the one with Yaman. He wasn't a leading diplomat like Kel's father, Baron Piers, but Maddy told her with a lopsided grin that such was the life of a younger son.

Lucetta was a traditional noble lady in the Fenrigh home, raising her daughter and helping look after her nieces and nephews when her husband and brothers-in-law were away. Seven years younger than Dom, Lucetta was the same age as Kel. Kel's imaginative side, the part of her that was most like Neal, wondered if Lucetta was living the life that Kel would have had had Kel not gone for her knighthood.

"It's a simple life," Lucetta told her, a very Dom-like sparkle in her gaze, "but it's fulfilling." Then she said teasingly, "Because you know, lady knight, _all_ of us can't be setting tradition on its ear!"

They returned to the manor at dusk. The reunion of the family for dinner saw the return of Queen. Kel had not seen the orange-gray feline for more than a day, but she thought that the cat was just making herself scarce. Now Queen was curled up by the hearth, dejection in her pale green eyes, tail slapping the floor rhythmically. Kel frowned. The cat looked little like her namesake.

The lady knight picked her up and carried her to the dining room. Queen hissed when Dom came into the room—or was it when Doanna came in?—but quieted when Kel sat and petted her absently. Soon Queen was purring softly, though she never left Kel's side. Occasionally she would beg scraps from Neal, but soon she switched her tail and disappeared from the room entirely.

"Lady Kel," Dom's mother whispered from her seat next to Kel, "I hope I didn't offend you with what I said yesterday." She hesitated, then added, "You see, I only want the both of you to be happy—"

"It's fine, Lady Darinia," Kel replied hurriedly, "I know you are only trying to help."

The lady's light green eyes met Kel's. In them Kel was surprised to find an anguish that she couldn't quite place. But in the blink of an eye, it was gone.

_Something to puzzle over later_, Kel thought.

* * *

_Later_ came when, the next morning, Kel awoke suddenly to heavy footsteps outside her door and Doanna yelling, "What, Dom? Don't like proper noble ladies anymore? Well—" her voice lowered dangerously—"I won't be here for that whoring around."

"Doanna." Kel sat up in bed, struggling to hear Dom's calmer voice. "An insult to her is an insult to me. I will not stand for such comments about my friends."

"And I can't take another rejection." Then the bitterest sneer Kel had ever heard in her life came when Doanna said, "Bet you didn't know that my husband got himself killed on purpose rather than face coming back home to me after the war, didn't you?"

All of time seemed to freeze then. Finally, footsteps—Doanna's, Kel guessed—receded as Kel let out breath she didn't know she was holding.

There was no going back to sleep now; it was dawn, after all. Kel, slightly dazed, soon regained composure as she did her morning exercises. She didn't know whether to feel empathy or joy. Not one for random gossip, Kel supposed she never knew how Doanna's husband, Geoffrey of Meron, felt about his wife or why he felt death was his only escape from her. The whole thing became more tragic the more Kel thought about it. Though she had never wronged Doanna outright, Kel couldn't help but feel guilty.

_And now I'm perplexed as well as relieved, _Kel thought as she changed into another dress for today.

Throughout the day, the group was quiet and oddly somber, half of them having heard that morning's outburst. Soon, everyone knew what had transpired between Dom and Doanna.

Fed up with the needless worry everyone felt about what would happen next, Kel went to go see Dom herself. She rapped on his door.

Dom opened it. He looked surprised to see her. "Kel—"

"Dom, you are not about to mope all day, are you?" Kel asked sharply, letting herself in and closing the door.

"I—no," he said defensively. He ran his hand through his hair. "It's just—you heard her this morning, Kel, I'm sure. It's just so hard to talk to her."

Dom wouldn't look at her, even as he sat on his bed and tapped his foot anxiously on the floor.

Kel sat down next to him. "What did she say?"

"A lot of things," he replied blandly, "like how 'we needed each other' and that she was 'exactly' what I 'was looking for in a relationship.'" Finally he looked at Kel and said in a lowered voice, "She even went so far as to say... less than decent things about you. In front of my face, too."

So he _didn't_ know, and he _did_ care."What things?" Kel caught herself asking. _Since when did I become such a masochist?_ Kel wondered.

Dom looked at her, eyes wide. "I shouldn't repeat them—"

"Just say it, Dom, I'm sure I've heard worse." She wanted to know exactly what he wouldn't tolerate.

"She thought I was lusting after you. That I should go ahead and take pity on you because you couldn't make—" he paused, shamefaced. "I can't say it, Kel."

"Yes you can."

His eyes were over bright before he looked away from her and finished quickly, "Because you couldn't make much living on your back with those looks, anyway."

Hurriedly, he continued, "Look, Kel, can we just forget about this and—" he paused when he finally looked back at Kel and saw her chuckling softly and shaking her head. "You're laughing?"

"I just think it's impressive that she managed to call me slutty _and_ ugly in the same breath. Now _that's_ a new one!"

Dom looked alarmed and uncomfortable. "Um—"

"You're right, forget it."

"Y-yes, of course."

After a moment, Kel asked, in what she hoped was a casual voice, "So, Dom, what _are_ you looking for in a relationship?"

He sighed. "A year ago, I would've said... 'fun.'" He chuckled. "You would have been ashamed of me. You probably still are." Kel, about to protest, stopped when he turned his blue gaze on her, his eyes unreadable. "But I don't think that's all I'm looking for anymore."

Kel couldn't look away. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "It seems that—" he reddened perceptibly—"my experience has been, over the years, that the more the woman doesn't care about... things, the more complicated our relationship. Lately, I've been... tired of that drama." Suddenly he remarked thoughtfully, "I never knew that about Doanna."

Kel knew what 'that' was. "Me neither," she said quietly. "How horrible it must have been for her."

Dom nodded grimly. "I tried to talk to her again, but... it was no use. We're quits."

"I'm sorry."

"No," he whispered, moving to put an arm around Kel's shoulders. "No one's fault but mine."

Kel leaned into him; his touch, for once, soothed her.

After a while, he let her go. "Well, if I'm to convince everyone that I've not been moping, I should probably show myself outside."

Kel suppressed a shiver at the loss of heat. "That would be wise," she agreed, rising and making for the door.

"Kel." His voice stopped her. She turned. Scant inches separated their faces as he whispered, "Thank you. What would I do without you?"

She gripped his arm, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. "You would have gotten along just fine. I just got impatient enough with not knowing what happened or if you were alright or not."

Dom looked as if he wanted to say something but thought the better of it. Instead he chuckled and said, "Keladry of Mindelan, _impatient_?"

She gave him a shove and opened the door. "Aren't you happy that I was?"

"Very," he replied with a smile.


	5. Everything

Doanna left the next day. Whether she was going home to Meron or to Fenrigh was a mystery; her parting words to the lord of Masbolle were that she "would just love to get away from here." Dom took it in stride; in addition to the lady's departure, this day marked the end of the family's mourning period.

As the family lazed, Kel itched for something to do. Having so much time alone with her thoughts or living the slow life here on the estate made her skin crawl with restlessness. Kel hoped that a day well-spent down in the practice courts, hitting things and honing her skills, would act as an antidote to such an itch.

At the end of the day, the household relaxed in the gardens once more. Well, they _were_ relaxing until Lady Darinia asked Dom, "Well, my son, have you decided on what I asked you?"

Dom froze. "Which one?"

"On whether or not you really will return to Corus after your leave is up," was the cool reply.

For a long moment, Dom regarded his mother, gaze intense. Then he shifted position uncomfortably on the bench. "I'll have to, one way or another."

"True," his mother said, "will there be a resignation letter involved?"

Dom stared at his mother. "I haven't decided yet," he said quietly, always honest.

"Domitan." Darinia's voice was cold, unrelenting. "How can you still be considering. You did write me, quite unequivocally, that half your squad didn't make it back from the northern border and that you didn't want the same happening to you. And don't you even want to know how to manage this place when I'm gone?"

Kel, wondering how the lady could turn so cold so publicly, looked from mother to son worriedly. Quick glances told her that Neal, Madrigol, and Lucetta (Rose had gone to bed) were, too.

Kel saw Dom clench his jaw several times before replying, "Of course, Mother. But I need more time to think things through."

"Very well." Darinia said after a long pause, and allowed another before continuing, "I trust you'll make the right decision." She looked at everyone else, ignoring how they stared openly at her. "Good night, darlings."

Lady Darinia strode back inside before anyone could utter a word. Apparently, rarely did the Lady of Masbolle don the imperiousness that seemed to cow everybody into speechlessness.

Finally, it was Neal who broke the silence. "Dom," he drawled, "what was that about? Aunt wants you to resign?"

Dom sighed, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I wish she hadn't made such a spectacle of it, but yes, she does. I don't know why I'm still—" he broke off, seeming frustrated with himself, and looked up to meet Kel's gaze. Then he looked at everyone else and said, "She wants me to settle down."

Everyone knew exactly what "settle down" meant. A wife and children, a proper family, especially to continue the Masbolle line. These things were important to Dom but, as they all witnessed tonight, to Lady Darinia of Masbolle the importance was tenfold.

"I hadn't realized Mama wanted grandchildren so bad," Luce remarked, fingering her engagement band. "Well, brother, what are you going to do? You'll have to give them to her eventually."

"But who?" Maddy asked. "With who?"

Kel looked curiously at Dom as he fidgeted. "Don't know," he muttered.

"Huh," Neal remarked, standing up and stretching. Then he chuckled. "Aunt Darinia must really think you mucked up with Doanna."

Dom nodded absently, staring into the night. They all sat there for a long time, in silence. When they finally stood to leave, Dom stayed behind. Queen made an appearance at Dom's side. She sprung into his lap, startling him. She instantly started purring. Even as he petted her, her mewing didn't cease. If anything, she became more persistent. Kel saw all this when she turned back from the doorway to the manor. She stepped into the castle, Jump at her side, just as Queen persuaded Dom to come back inside, too.

* * *

The next day—two days before the group left Masbolle—the household began preparations for their departure to Queenscove. Of course, Neal couldn't contain his glee. At this point, nobody, not even little Rosalee, was surprised.

Between burgeoning excitement and packing, Kel almost forgot that her twenty-first birthday was the next day. But since she barely remembered, she wouldn't mind if everybody else didn't.

That's why she was surprised when Dom suddenly remarked over breakfast, "Kel, it's your birthday tomorrow, isn't it?"

"It is," she affirmed. "You remembered?"

"I, well—" he began, studying his porridge. "I remembered it a while ago, before you came, but I didn't remember it again until now."

_Was Dom actually _failing_ to appear casual?_ Kel scrutinized him from her seat across from him. Neal drew her attention by clearing his throat and commenting, "Our dear Protector of the Small's birthday ought to be a new Tortallan holiday."

"No way, Meathead," Dom said, shaking his head, "across all of the Eastern Lands."

As the cousins debated, Kel looked to Lucetta, Madrigol, and Darinia for help. Dom's mother was regarding her son with curiosity as both Luce and Maddy met Kel's look and smiled, shaking their heads. In the end, Kel had to also. She also had to kick both of them under the table to get them to stop going on about "the Protector's festival" and "the pilgrimage to Tortall, home of the Protector."

Later, as the group headed separated to do various tasks, Dom caught up with Kel on her way to the practice courts.

"Mind if I join you?" he inquired mildly.

"Of course not," she replied. Dom often joined her on the practice courts in the mornings, whenever his mother didn't insist upon keeping him among the estate's account books and records. This was the first time he'd asked Kel's permission, though. Not that he had to, but nonetheless Kel was wary.

Neal bounded behind them, to Kel's surprise. "They're going riding, and they're talking about Sir Allanger's _Tale of the Gold Cities_," he huffed. "If I have to hear another word about 'chaste spintries' or 'hair like wet vines,' I'm going to have to hit things first. Such writing shouldn't even exist."

Kel thought this must be the end of the world. Neal_, not liking a book? _Despising_ one, even?_ She voiced her confusion.

He wrinkled his nose and proclaimed, "Just because someone's fond of horses doesn't mean he or she must love every horse in the stable."

"But, he loves horses," Dom protested.

But Dom seemed to reconsider; he traded looks with Kel and they chorused, "Peachblossom."

Neal grinned, a bit darkly, and followed his chuckling companions into the indoor practice courts.

They were well warmed up before Kel and Dom faced off in a sword bout. Neal had gone to look after Magewhisper.

"You know, lady knight," Dom remarked, parrying her blows to his right, "you can have anything you want for your birthday."

_What's he getting at? _Before suspicion began to consume her mind, she shook her head, as much to clear it as to refuse. "Dom, you know I don't need any presents."

"You don't need them," he agreed, striking as she blocked. "But you can _want_ them."

_Be careful_, she told herself. Out loud she said, "What more could I possibly want, Dom?"

It was his turn to attack. "The last word of that sentence," he teased, dancing out of Griffin's reach. He was a bold thing, flirting with the first girl he laid eyes on once he was no longer committed to another.

She couldn't—wouldn't—admit to such a thing. Wouldn't admit that yes, she did want her very own Domitan of Masbolle for her birthday so that, for once, her needs—and wants—would be fulfilled. But his last relationship, despite Kel's very presence in the house, was proof that he saw Kel as nothing more than a friend.

And yet, he broke off his relationship once he found out that his lover despised the lady knight. He had implied that he would've never gotten involved with the lady had he known her feelings about his friend Kel.

"_Really_, Dom," she told him instead, pushing past his defenses with rapid swings, "you're such a convincing flirt, fresh off your—" her blade swung up to kiss his neck ever so lightly— "latest infatuation."

Dom, panting, met her eyes and, for once, struggled to respond. Then he let his sword drop, telling her with a rueful smile, "You're merciless, Kel."

She grinned and withdrew Griffin. "I know."

* * *

Kel's birthday dawned bright and clear. She rose with the sun, as always, and went about her morning routine as per the usual. She was in the middle of pulling off her nightclothes when a knock sounded at her door.

"One moment!" she called from her dressing room.

When she finished donning her dress, Kel yanked the door open to find no one there. She peered out into the hall and found no one in sight. Kel scanned the floor as she was closing the door, and froze. Was that _blood_ on the stone flags?

Kel squinted to get a better look, drawing her concealed knife as she bent to get a closer look. She didn't _think_ it was blood, probably because the red spots were all roughly the same size and set out in an eerily neat trail to her door...

Jump barked from within her room and raced out into the hall, frolicking over the red spots, which stirred and settled with the dog's antics. Kel almost laughed in surprise, sheathing her knife. Someone had laid out rose petals that led the way from her room to around the corner off her left. _Surprises_, Kel thought with mock-disgust, and closed the door behind her.

She followed the trail, which led her down several corridors and flights of stairs, her usual trip downstairs every morning for the past week. The trip, usually brief, seemed long—whether it was the very presence of a _trail_ leading her downstairs or her growing feeling of foreboding to blame Kel couldn't guess. She calmed herself with practicality: someone who meant harm to her could hardly do it here in Masbolle Castle, let alone do it by placing rose petals at her feet. She was no properly-bred court lady, to be easily distracted by flowers or other frippery.

When she reached the main stair, she found that roses and other flowers and tables with trays laden with food were everywhere on the ground below. At the center of that beautified main hall stood Dom, Neal, Lady Darinia, Lucetta, Madrigol, and Rosalee.

"Happy Birthday!" they called, hardly in sync.

Kel descended the stair quickly, awed. "What's all of this?" she asked teasingly, almost breathless at the beauty of it all. The others came over to meet her at the foot of the stairs. Of course, she tripped over the hem of her skirt on the last stair to the bottom and of course, strong arms caught her by the waist and hoisted her clear of danger.

"Easy, Kel," Dom said in her ear as he settled her on her feet. "Can't be falling and breaking your pretty head, now can you, not on your twenty-first birthday." He grinned and kissed her forehead. "Happy Birthday, Kel."

The others swarmed around her then, offering their own birthday and well wishes before Kel gathered up a simply ecstatic Rose in her arms and led them to the food and couches to celebrate.

"Whose idea was the roses?" Kel asked after they had all gathered and settled in some semblance of order.

"All of ours," Dom replied neutrally.

"Oh no, none of that, Dommy boy," Maddy remarked, standing to clap his brother-in-law's shoulder amicably. "It was all his idea," Maddy told Kel.

Dom grinned, shaking his head. Kel raised her eyebrows at him but held the rest of her Mask in place. _If I didn't know better_, she thought, _it would seem as if Dom was courting me!_

"How thoughtful of you," Kel told him quietly, her mouth quirking in a smile.

"Thank you," he bowed graciously.

Lady Darinia cleared her throat loudly. Suddenly Dom said, "Look, Kel! Gifts!" He pointed to one of the tables, the one that held a couple of wrapped packages.

The party continued well past noon, and then through supper, the household chatting away. Soon Lucetta, Madrigol, and Rosalee dispersed from the group to do some last-minute packing. Lady Darinia asked her son to accompany him upstairs, to do finances, she told Kel with a smile. Kel thought she heard Darinia say she would, "return Dom to you in an hour or so, no worries," but she couldn't be sure.

Only she and Neal were left past the third bell to midnight. Dom had not returned. Well worn out from a long day of talking, Kel yawned so widely she felt her jaws creak. Neal laughed and said they'd best catch an early night for their departure for Queenscove the next morning. Before she bade him goodnight and separated, Kel teased Neal about wanting to get an extra-long night dreaming of his reunion with Yuki.

Somehow Kel was bothered by Dom's absence. It was more than two hours since Lady Darinia had dragged him away. Purely out of curiosity, Kel sought out his study, which adjoined his bedchamber. If he and his mother were still working on their accounts, that was where they would be found.

She was right. However, they weren't talking about "finances." She didn't have to press her ear to the keyhole to hear Lady Darinia demanding, "Dom, when are you going to tell that poor girl how you feel?"

"Maybe I would have had you not dragged me away." That low grumble was Dom's. He sighed and continued, "She wouldn't take me seriously, not when I've mucked up things between me and—you know." There was a brief pause. Then, "Besides, I thought you'd know her enough by now to see that she was probably just being polite in not mentioning to you that she's actually not interested in me at all."

Suddenly Kel heard a familiar voice drawl by her ear: "Well, _that_ certainly is an interesting bit of news."

Kel turned and gave Neal and real shove; caught unawares, he toppled over and lay sprawled in the middle of the hallway. Then she whirled around at the sound of the door creaking. Dom popped his head out, taking in the scene before him with noticeable panic. "Kel?" he asked worriedly.

Lady Darinia pulled the door open sharply and stepped out from behind her son as Neal got to his feet. Kel knew she was failing at concealing the look on her face—at both the "news" _and_ at being caught eavesdropping. Darinia saw it, too, and with a muttered "I think you have some explaining to do" to Dom and a polite "Lady Knight" to Kel, she strode off down the hall and out of sight. Neal, on the other hand, looked from Dom to Kel frantically before he, too, excused himself and went on his way.

Dom, too, must have seen in Kel's face what she heard. He started, "Kel, I—" as Kel said, "Dom, what—" and both stopped abruptly. They smiled hesitantly at one another. Then Dom continued, "Kel, I think you'd better come in before I say anything else..."

Kel nodded mutely and stepped into Dom's study. It was a lovely room, she noted. Plush couches and simple yet elegant furnishings made where he shuffled papers and books comfortable. Why she was thinking such things _now_ escaped her.

Dom shut the door and spun to face her. "Kel, I don't know how much you—heard," he began, winning narrowed eyes from Kel. Still he blundered on, "But I think it's about time that I told you everything." The way he paused before he said "everything" was enough to steal all the words from her tongue.

He fixed her with a gaze she couldn't look away from. "Kel, I probably have no right—but I've been thinking about you, as more than a friend, for a long time." Kel froze, her face heating uncontrollably. "I am so sorry that you had to hear it that way. I swear I was going to tell you one of these days, I just... didn't have the nerve." He paused, then went on quickly, "My mother's been after me for days to tell you, and she was so upset with me and—and the Fenrigh lady. _Anyway_," he took a deep breath, "I've been such a coward, I know. You probably deserve better."

Even as he said it, Kel saw in his eyes that he wasn't about to give up.

She couldn't believe her ears. She thought she was dreaming.

"Gods curse it, Dom!" she exclaimed finally, putting panic on his face. "Why were you ever with her, then? And why didn't you say so earlier?" She was so relieved, her Yamani mask was slipping. At the confusion on his face, Kel added, "_Now_ how do you suppose we're going to make up for all that lost time?"

Dom, seeing that she was serious, grinned. He took a step toward her and touched her neck. "I have an idea," he murmured, suddenly—Kel realized—in bedroom mode. Without warning he nipped her earlobe gently, eliciting a gasp from her lips. Her breath quickened as he took his sweet time exploring her jawline with lips and tongue. When he finally kissed her full on the mouth, it took all of Kel's effort of will just to cling to him as one of his hands cradled her head and the other encircled her waist. _Great gods_, Kel thought, _the man's without mercy_.

They pulled away only due to a lack of air. Dazedly, Kel returned Dom's smoldering gaze before he recaptured her lips with his own. His mouth was warm, soft, comforting.

"Gods, Kel," he whispered once they pulled away again, breathing as heavily as she. "How long have you wanted this?"

The heat in his voice overwhelmed her. She rested her head on his shoulder, trying to compose an answer. What would he think if she told him the truth? That she'd had a schoolgirl's crush on him the moment she laid eyes on him, a crush that hadn't gone away even despite her other relationships? A "crush" that, in fact, intensified with each passing glance, conversation, and touch?

"A very long time," she whispered finally, not trusting her voice. She caressed his cheek with her thumb, looking up into intense blue eyes.

"Why?" he asked softly, "Why couldn't you tell me?"

Standing there in his arms, Kel thought she never felt so coddled in her life. She hated to compare, but neither Cleon nor Merric had ever held her this way. Dom supported her securely in his strong arms, with such warmth in his shining blue eyes, pleading with them as much as with his words for her to tell him _everything_.

"I was afraid to," she replied, running her fingers through his soft black hair. "I thought I'd never have a chance with someone like you."

"Someone like me?" he asked, smiling faintly.

_He's so cute when he's confused_, Kel thought dizzily. She fiddled with his hair and said aloud, "Oh, you know, handsome, charming, kind, never at a loss for women."

"Gods," Dom breathed, "this looks bad."

Dom caught her wrists quickly before she shoved him. "No, no! Kel, that's not what I meant!" He jerked back and forth as Kel fought his hold. "I mean _I_ look bad to you, courting all those women, and then... especially Doanna!"

Kel stopped resisting, studying him. "Oh," she said at last.

He let go of her wrists and took her hands instead. "I never loved her or promised her anything," he continued, probably afraid Kel would try more physical force on him if he didn't explain himself more clearly. "She just asked me and I—I couldn't refuse. I didn't really know her then, how she felt about you, and it hurt only to hope that you returned my feelings, in case you didn't, so I didn't say no to her." Dom searched her face for any clues as to how she felt, then added, "Bottom line is, I haven't the slightest idea how to go about courting someone like you, Kel."

She stared at him. "Someone like _me_?" Kel asked in turn.

He stroked her hands with his thumbs, making her think of no one but him. "Yes, you. You're a knight—"

"I'm a human being, Dom," she interrupted. "What has rank got to do with anything?"

"I'm a human being too," Dom replied steadily. Kel was recovering from having her own words backfire when he said softly, "And I can't, in my right mind, court seriously while I'm in the Own."

Before she could inquire after what 'court seriously' meant, he said, "That's why I'm quitting."

"What!" Kel exclaimed, yanking her hands away from his. "Dom, please tell me you—you thought this through," she said, unsettled that he might've done it for her.

"Of course I have," he told her. "Kel, my mother is right. She's been right all along. I was just too stubborn to realize it, that my time with the Own is over now that I've inherited. I hate to leave my squad when it means vacating a place for yet another new recruit, but Wolset will do fine." He looked away from her then, not wanting tears to spill from his eyes as his feelings had from his voice.

Kel took his face in her hands. "Oh, Dom," she whispered as his tears began to fall in earnest. She wiped them away and then wrapped her arms around his neck as she let him mourn.

Kel understood. Of course she understood. She knew that Dom considered his "old" squad his brothers, and having them wrenched away and replaced would be hard on anyone. But it was Dom's strong sense of duty and responsibility that she could see really tore him in two. He wanted to do his duty to his family and yet fulfill his responsibilities as a sergeant in the King's Own. What was a man to do, should he want both?

But both was out of the question for Dom, and that was why he mourned not only the deaths of his brothers in arms, but the end of an extraordinary chapter of his life.

He finally pulled back from their embrace but only so he could kiss her with renewed passion. As their tongues lashed and teased, Kel felt herself melding into a world of bliss, one she never really went to with anyone else, yet here she was, going there with Dom.

"I swear by Mithros, the Goddess, I need you," Dom panted in the brief seconds they separated for air.

Somehow they ended up lowered onto a couch, kissing ravenously as their fingers struggled to undo shirt and dress ties. Kel was thinking to just rip his frustrating shirt open when they heard a hard rap on the door.

"Go away," Dom murmured as he started sucking Kel's collarbone.

"Who, me?" she gasped. It was delightful surprise to her that Dom liked to use teeth.

Dom growled as the knocks persisted. He pulled away reluctantly, with a highly suggestive whisper "We'll continue this _soon_" in her ear before he went to the door, stripping his shirt off entirely as he did so.

He opened the door slightly and leaned against the doorframe, completely at ease. _Why did he do that?_ Kel thought, looking at Dom's discarded shirt. Not that she was complaining, but to do so to insinuate to the person at the door that she and Dom were up to no good was bold indeed. From the dramatic pause after Dom asked, "Yes?" calmly and the lowered voice that followed, Kel could hear it was Neal. _Probably come to check on us_, Kel wondered giddily, remembering that Neal had overheard just as much as she had. How he crept up on her earlier she had no idea; usually her senses were so keen when she eavesdropped, on high alert not to get caught.

Kel couldn't hear them from her—position—on the couch. She stood up, redoing the ties of her dress, realizing how easy it had been to get caught up with Dom. She wasn't sure if they would have gone all the way, given they were uninterrupted. Still, she would have to be careful next time; they just revealed their feelings to one another, after all.

Dom closed the door and turned back to Kel, smiling mischievously. "They were worried about us," he explained. "Seemingly, we've been here a while. Frankly, I thought we had just gotten started. So Mother sent Neal. I told him there was nothing to worry about." With that he leaned in for a kiss but stopped short. "Is this okay, Kel?" he asked in a much quieter voice.

"I don't think it's normal for us to kiss and then not be able to stop, no. But I would like to take things slowly," she added, placing a hand on his bare chest. "And that's really hard when you've got your shirt off."

He grinned and kissed her thoroughly. "I guess I'm sorry, then," he teased. That got a half-hearted glare out of Kel, but she could never stay cross with Dom.

"I should go," she whispered as they broke apart. He kissed her palm when she stroked his cheek and let go.

As she left his rooms and started down the hall, she heard him whisper, with a touch of amusement in his voice, "Happy Birthday, Kel."

She turned back and smiled at him. He leaned against the frame of his door, grinning ear to ear. She blew him a kiss and went to retire to her own rooms.


End file.
